


How to Love

by Ballycastle_Bat



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Abandonment Issues, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Bisexual Barry Allen, Canon is just a suggestion, Emotional Baggage, Falling In Love, Fertility Issues, I dont know if this counts as a love triangle?, Jealousy, M/M, Oliver Queen Being an Asshole, Oliver Queen Being an Idiot, One sided Barry/Oliver, One-Sided Attraction, Past Ronnie Raymond/Caitlin Snow, Pining, Pregnancy, Rejection, Slow Burn, Strained Friendships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-24 18:46:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16180997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ballycastle_Bat/pseuds/Ballycastle_Bat
Summary: Tommy Merlyn didn't know a single thing about love or relationships. He acted like he did but he just wasn't built that way ... maybe his new friend Barry Allen can teach him a thing or two about how to love and be loved.





	How to Love

**Author's Note:**

> So, I don't know how this happened. I love Tommy and I felt like he went through some shit and deserves some Barry love.

“Hey! It's Tommy, right?” An unfamiliar voice called over the loud music of Verdant. It was only about nine so The club wasn’t yet in full swing but the D.J. had already arrived.

Thomas Merlyn glanced up from the object that currently held his attention: a glass that had just come out of the dishwasher and needed to be dried off. “Yeah, that's me! Can I help you?” he studied the man but couldn't say he recognized him. Though, that was normal there were many regulars that Tommy didn't keep track of.

“I'm Oliver's friend. Barry Allen! I just moved here for the CSI position at SCPD.” Barry grinned, he recognised Tommy from the photo Oliver kept in his wallet, and one he had seen during a brief visit to Queen Manor.  
  
“What? How did you even get in here? Oliver said you were a kid.” Tommy very briefly recalled Oliver mentioning his younger mentee. However, the way Oliver talked about it in his annoyed tone, he made it sound like he’d adopted another teenager. A dependant. Not a fully functioning adult with an important job like crime scene investigation.  
  
“I'm _twenty-nine_ !” Barry nearly whined in offence. “Do I _look_ like a child?”

Tommy looked up again at the man and was surprised to see that his sour mood about his age was already gone and he was grinning widely at him. “You look like you could go either way. Eighteen or thirty-five depends on the angle,” he chuckled.

“I'll take it.” Barry shrugged his shoulders. “Can I get a beer?”

“We have Miller, Bud, or Blue Moon.”

“Blue Moon is fine.”

Tommy grabbed a clean beer glass and filled it before passing it to Barry across the Bar. “Here you go.”

“Thanks. So, you and Oliver grew up together?” Barry started casually. He had actually been looking forward to meeting Tommy for a while and it showed.

Tommy could feel genuineness through is body language. “Yep. I met him for real when I was about eight or so, we've been best friends ever since. Our parents were friends. How'd you meet him? You don't really seem like the type of person Oliver would ally himself with.”

“I um well … you see a couple years ago when there was that break-in at Queen Con I came in from out of town because I look into unexplainable cases…” he rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
“I don't know if I can ask this?” Tommy cleared his throat. “Which eh-- which one are you…? Oliver said he knew you from his … nightlife …”  
  
“Oh good.” Barry sighed in relief and felt a little more at ease. He leaned on the bar casually. “I'm the Flash!” he shot him a wide grin.  
  
“The what?” his face scrunched up slightly. He wasn't quite sure what Barry was talking about.  
  
“The Flash … Central City’s hero? Formally the Streak? Fastest man alive?” Barry smirked. “Ringing any bells?”  
  
“I've never heard of you.” Tommy looked him over, but couldn't say he recognised him at all.  
  
“No? What? I can't believe he's never mentioned me!” Barry gaped.  
  
“You guys seem to be hitting it off.” Oliver came into step beside Barry, throwing an arm over his shoulder. “That's good. Last time I brought a work friend home, it didn't go well.”  
  
“It's not my fault Bruce is ... a dick."  Tommy rolled his eyes.  
  
“You never told him about me?” Barry’s tone was offended, ignoring their argument about Bruce. He may have liked the guy, but the guy was definitely an acquired taste.  
  
“Yes, I did!” He turned to Tommy. “Tommy, this is the kid.” He squeezed Barry’s shoulder affectionately. "Scarlet Speedster."  
  
“Oh! The one you shot in the back.” Tommy laughed. “You're the rebellious kid he brags about? Man, I always thought you were like, _way_ younger than us.”  
  
“My shoulders still hurt when it rains by the way,” Barry quipped, taking another sip of his beer. "Yeah, Oliver talks about me like I'm his bratty kid brother. Everyone expects me to be younger."

Oliver nodded towards the general area that lead to the Arrowcave without saying a word.

Barry set down his beer. “Duty calls! It was really great meeting you.”

“See what I mean?” Oliver jabbed a thumb in the direction of where Barry was walking. “He's so unprofessional, but he's bright.”

“I think he's fun.” Tommy laughed a little. “Way nicer than Bruce.”

Oliver decided not to defend Bruce, the guy could have a chip on his shoulder and he was more focused on Barry. “Barry is _too_ nice,” He watched Barry head out of the room almost sadly. He kept up a front but Tommy could tell something was troubling him about his friend. As much as Oliver avoided admitting it, he cared for Barry deeply.

“I like nice.” Tommy’s tone was defensive. “Why can't I like nice?”

“Tommy, leave him alone,” Oliver said seriously.

“Why?” He raised his eyebrows at him. “Do _you_ like him?”

“I don't like guys, Tommy. You know that … but Barry isn't like you.” Oliver crossed his arms. “He’s head over heels for someone anyway, and it's really hard to get him to branch out when he's like that.”

“That sounds like a challenge.”

Oliver shot him a serious look.

Tommy had known Oliver long enough to know that look meant ‘hands off’. He also knew well enough then to cross Oliver. If he was being honest, he still wasn't quite sure if Oliver had completely regained his trust. So instead of pressing it, he nodded once and coughed. “I’ll keep it PG.”

 

Oliver headed down to the Arrowcave, honestly questioning Tommy’s ability to keep his word. He couldn't focus on that now though, there were bigger issues at hand.

Barry was sitting in Felicity’s computer chair with his beer. “Okay so--”

“Did you go all the way back upstairs for that?” Oliver asked in an annoyed tone.

“Yes. I can run at seven times the speed of sound now, why would I waste a perfectly good Blue Moon beer?”

“I just--” He sighed. “Are you ready to train?” Oliver asked, crossing his arms and removing his shirt.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “So, Tommy seems like a nice enough guy. Why have I never met him?”

“Because we’re two sides of the same coin-- only I grew up, he tried to but it didn't work out very well.” he tossed his shirt away from the training area.

“And?”

“I didn't trust him around you.”

“What … does that mean?” Barry crossed his arms and wondered what kind of company Oliver was keeping.

“You're … nice. He'll say anything to get in anyone's pants. Then he disappears.”

“I'm not a teenager, Oliver. I don't need you to protect me,” Barry rolled his eyes and pulled off his own shirt, folding it neatly and setting it on a computer desk.

“I don't care about protecting you,” Oliver spoke quickly. “I don't want to be in the middle if you get hurt. I don't have room in my life for drama.”

“Why are you assuming I'm the one who's gonna get hurt?”

“Tommy Merlyn couldn't love someone if he tried. You love anyone until they've proven to be unloveable … even then your judgement is pretty bad at times.”  
  
“That's harsh,” but Barry was studying Oliver’s face now. _Did he know_ ? He tried to push that thought  
  
“I think he's fine with it,” he shrugged and Barry tried not to watch how his muscles moved with the action.  
  
“I meant about me!” but Barry thought about how he was currently trying to deal with feelings he had acquired for two different people and the number of villains he had been tricked by as of late, so couldn't exactly argue. He held his tongue.

Oliver sent his hand flying forward, hitting Barry in the side.

“Ow!” Barry protested, rubbing his stinging flesh.

“The first thing I ever taught you was not to get distracted on the field. Stop talking about my friends and focus.”

Barry rushed forward, without the aid of the speed force and tried to land a punch to Oliver's face.

He missed and Oliver elbowed him in the back before sending him to the floor with a firm kick. “Come on Barry, you're better than this! This is what I meant about distractions. Get your head in it.”

“I gotta _get my head in the game_?” Barry smirked.

“Do you want me to stop holding back? I'll stop holding back,” Oliver had flashbacks to Thea and Oliver forcing him to watch those godawful made for television musicals.

“I'll Speed Force you to the top of the Eiffel tower and leave you there.”

“I'll just climb down and kick your ass because I _pay attention to my training_ ,” Oliver complained. As much as he cared about Barry, he did get easily annoyed by him.

Barry shot up and aimed his fist at Oliver’s chest. _Blocked_. His jaw. _Blocked._  “Dammit!” Barry swung hard at Oliver’s stomach. _Blocked_.

“Getting angry will get you nowhere, Barr.”

This went on for longer than Barry wanted to admit. He kept losing his focus. He hadn't agreed to this. The agreement was that he would come to Star City and help with the crime rates. Wally was taking over in Central City. Barry couldn't remember agreeing to a ridiculous training session like this.

 

“I need to take a break,” Barry complained about thirty minutes in.

“Don't quit now!” called Tommy’s voice from the computer desk. “You can take him!”

Barry raised his eyebrows at Tommy. He mentally questioned how long he had been watching Barry get beat on. He decided against asking out loud. “I'm the speed guy. I'm not too good at fighting.”

“What a shame, I was enjoying the show.”

“Who’s watching the bar?” Oliver interrupted.

“Roy’s up there, it's fine! You're such a grouch, Ollie.”

Barry didn't think Tommy seemed too bad, maybe a little flirty but harmless. He decided to form his own judgements on him in the days to come.


End file.
